Skip to main content
Home

Search


NEI on Social Media | Search A-Z | en español | Text size S M L
Share
  • About NEI
    • NEI Research Accomplishments
    • Budget and Congress
    • About the NEI Director
    • History of the NEI
    • NEI 50th Anniversary
    • NEI Women Scientists Advisory Committee (WSAC)
    • Board of Scientific Counselors
    • National Advisory Eye Council (NAEC)
    • Donating to the NEI

     Contact Us

     Visiting the NIH Campus

    Mission Statement

    As part of the federal government’s National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Eye Institute’s mission is to “conduct and support research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to blinding eye diseases, visual disorders, mechanisms of visual function, preservation of sight, and the special health problems and requirements of the blind.”

  • News & Events
    • Events Calendar
    • NEI Press Releases
    • News from NEI Grantees
    • Spokesperson bios
    • Statistics and Data
    • Resources for the media

    Pressroom Contacts

    Dustin Hays - Chief, Science Communication
    dustin.hays@nih.gov

    Kathryn DeMott, Media Relations
    Kathryn.DeMott@nih.gov

    NEI Office of Communications
    (301)496-5248

  • Health Information
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Clinical Studies
    • Publications Catalog
    • Photos and Images
    • Spanish Language Information
  • Grants and Funding
    • Extramural Research
    • Division of Extramural Science Programs
    • Division of Extramural Activities

    Extramural Contacts

    NEI Division of Extramural Research
    Suite 1300
    5635 Fishers Lane, MSC 9300
    Bethesda, MD 20892-9300
    (Courier services use: Rockville, MD 20852)
    301-451-2020

  • Research at NEI
    • Office of the Scientific Director
    • Office of the Clinical Director
    • Laboratories, Sections and Units
    • Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications
    • eyeGENE

    Research Directors Office

    Office of the Scientific Director

    Sheldon S. Miller, Ph.D., Scientific Director
    David M. Schneeweis, Ph.D., Deputy Scientific Director

    Office of the Clinical Director

    Brian P. Brooks, M.D, Ph.D., Clinical Director
    Emily Y. Chew, M.D., Deputy Clinical Director

  • Education Programs
    • National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP)
    • Diabetic Eye Disease Education Program
    • Glaucoma Education Program
    • Low Vision Education Program
    • Hispanic/Latino Program
    • Vision and Aging Program
    • African American Program
  • Training and Jobs
    • Fellowships
    • NEI Summer Intern Program
    • Diversity In Vision Research & Ophthalmology (DIVRO)
    • Student Training Programs

    To search for current job openings visit HHS USAJobs

Home >> Statistics and Data >> Diabetic Retinopathy
Listen

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy Defined

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. In some people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision.

Read More About Diabetic Retinopathy.

On this page:

  • 2010 U.S. age-specific prevalence rates for Diabetic Retinopathy by Age, and Race/Ethnicity
  • 2010 Prevalence Rates of Diabetic Retinopathy by Race
  • 2010 U.S. Prevalent Cases of Diabetic Retinopathy (in thousands) by Age, and Race/Ethnicity
  • 2010 U.S. Prevalent Cases of Diabetic Retinopathy (in thousands) by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity
  • Projections for Diabetic Retinopathy (2010-2030-2050)
  • Changes of Cases between 2000 and 2010

2010 U.S. Age-Specific Prevalence Rates for Diabetic Retinopathy by Age, and Race/Ethnicity

Hispanic Americans age 50 and older are at high risk for developing glaucoma. Among people age 75 and older, 19 percent of Hispanic Americans had the disease in 2010, compared with seven percent of blacks and whites.

2010 U.S. age-specific prevalence rates for Diabetic Retinopathy by age, gender, and race/ethnicity

Tables for 2010 U.S. Age-Specific Prevalence Rates for Diabetic Retinopathy by Age, and Race/Ethnicity

2010 Prevalence Rates of Diabetic Retinopathy by Race

In 2010, Hispanic Americans age 50 and older had the highest rates of diabetic retinopathy (eight percent) compared with a five percent prevalence rate in blacks and whites.

Chart Projections 2010 (Diabetic Retinopathy)

Tables for 2010 Prevalence Rates of Diabetic Retinopathy by Race

2010 U.S. Prevalent Cases of Diabetic Retinopathy (in thousands) by Age, Race/Ethnicity

In 2012, the majority (68 percent) of Americans with diabetic retinopathy were white. Hispanic Americans accounted for 16 percent of cases and black Americans accounted for 11 percent.

2010 U.S. Prevalent Cases of Vision Impairment (in thousands) by age, gender, and race/ethnicity (Diabetic Retinopathy)

Tables for 2010 U.S. Prevalent Cases of Diabetic Retinopathy (in thousands) by Age, Race/Ethnicity

2010 U.S. Prevalent Cases of Diabetic Retinopathy (in thousands) by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity

Diabetic retinopathy affects men and women about equally. In 2010, 51 percent of U.S. cases occurred in women compared with 49 percent in men.

2010 U.S. Prevalent Cases of Diabetic Retinopathy (in thousands) by gender.

Tables for 2010 U.S. Prevalent Cases of Diabetic Retinopathy (in thousands) by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity

Projections for Diabetic Retinopathy (2010-2030-2050)

From 2010 to 2050, the number of Americans with diabetic retinopathy is expected to nearly double, from 7.7 million to 14.6 million. Hispanic Americans are expected to see the greatest increase in cases, rising more than three-fold from 1.2 million to 5.3 million.

Chart Projections 2010 (Diabetic Retinopathy)

Tables for Projections for Diabetic Retinopathy (2010-2030-2050)

Changes of Cases between 2000 and 2010

From 2000 to 2010, the number of cases of diabetic retinopathy increased 89 percent from 4.06 million to 7.69 million.

Chart Projections 2010 (Diabetic Retinopathy)

Tables for Changes of Cases between 2000 and 2010

  • NEI Home
  • Contact Us
  • A-Z Site Map
  • NEI on Social Media
  • Information in Spanish (Información en español)
  • Website, Social Media Policies and Other Important Links
  • NEI Employee Emergency Information
  • NEI Intranet (Employees Only)

*PDF files require the free Adobe® Reader® software for viewing.

This website is maintained by the NEI Office of Science Communications, Public Liaison, and Education.
Technical questions about this website can be addressed to the NEI Website Manager.
Department of Health and Human Services | The National Institutes of Health | USA.gov NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health ®